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Gewählte Doctoral Thesis:

Bernhard Scharf (2020): Plants in Cities Effects of Green Infrastructure on Urban Energy and Water Balance.
Doctoral Thesis - Institut für Ingenieurbiologie und Landschaftsbau (IBLB), BOKU-Universität für Bodenkultur, pp 1220. UB BOKU obvsg FullText

Abstract:

The history of plants in cities started about 6000 years B.C. with the famous “Hanging Gardens” in Babylon. Urbanites seem to need a connection to nature. This connection became more and more evident and fact based over time. In the period of industrialization parks, as Hyde Park in London, have been opened to public and dedicated to the purpose of recreation. Today, plants are discussed in the realm of climate adaptation of cities. A lot of evidence has been created by scientists showing clearly, that plants play a key role to many aspects of human well-being, as thermal comfort, and pluvial flood prevention. This PhD focusses on the influence of plants on the urban energy and water balance. Due to the fact that plants deliver services relevant to human life, they are called Green Infrastructure (GI). The following four research questions are stipulated: 1. Which processes connected to plants influence urban resilience towards climate change? 2. How different are the effects of the same type of GI on the urban energy and water balance? 3. How can GI be assessed regarding their effects on urban climate resilience? 4. How can GI be applied pointedly in urban development processes? In a first phase of research different types of GI have been investigated in comparison to standard urban materials, as sheet metal roofs or rendered facades, regarding the influence on microclimate, building physic and water balance. In a next phase the effectiveness of different GI of the same typology has been compared regarding the energy and water balance. In this process research question 3 arose. Different approaches to assess the effects of GI have been investigated also with the aim to allow a pointed application of Green Infrastructures. The high complexity of GI effects combined with the variability of urban structures and climatic framework conditions led to the development of an evaluation method that is based on a holistic 3D microclimate simulation tool called GREENPASS.

Betreuer: Pitha Ulrike

1. Berater: Florineth Florin

2. Berater: Stangl Rosemarie